No Success in Talks Between HRTC Driver-Conductor Union’s and Management, Time Given to Government to 6 March
HRTC Driver-Conductor Union President Mann Singh Thakur
Shimla, March 3 – Tension between Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) and Driver-Conductor Union flared up as talks between two parties ended in vain today. This meeting took place in Shimla, along with the Managing Director of HRTC, with a focus on the demands of the union, especially on the long-standing issues such as the night overtime not being paid along with Dearness Allowance (DA) payments being overdue by multiple years. Even though these negotiations are taking place, the drivers and conductors grievances are yet to be resolved, and the union has issued an ultimatum to the government, giving it until the 6th of March to act.
HRTC drivers and conductors had been demanding their night overtime pay, which has been pending for the last 65 months. Additionally, the workers have not received their DA, which has further incensed them. Despite repeated demands from the union to address these financial liabilities, the management has failed to take action, resulting in increasing resentment among HRTC employees.
The meeting did not provide any desired results, said Mann Singh Thakur, president, Driver-Conductor Union. “After these appearances, we had discussions with the management today but have not reached a conclusion. Such further delaying and procrastination by the management is unacceptable,” Thakur stated. If the unpaid dues are not settled by 6 March, the union would be compelled to initiate a new phase of protest movement, he added. Thakur said the union would not shy away from extreme steps like a “Chakka Jam” (road blockade) that can paralyse transportation services across the region. Any such disruptions would be the responsibility of the government in power, he added.
The unrest stems from an October commitment made by Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu. Chief Minister had made a commitment to HRTC drivers and conductors to pay them their five-year dues before March. But they say with hours until that deadline they have seen no progress and are frustrated with what they say is a lack of meaningful promises and urgency from both the government and HRTC management.
The matter has grown more urgent as the union has lost patience and there are now rising fears of disruptions on public transport. Any move from the Driver-Conductor Union can have a wider impact as thousands of passengers are dependent on HRTC buses for daily travel and the workers may go on a Chakka Jam.
March 6 ultimatum of the union still looms over the state government and the HRTC management that, in case they fail to resolve the matter, the dispute could become more serious. As that deadline nears, workers have said they will not back down until they have the compensation they are owed for the last five years of work.
It is one of the few demands made by a union that the government has yet to meet and it will be interesting to see how the situation plays out after the date given by the union. The HRTC workers are already agitating in the state, and any further delay could result in a full-scale crisis with protests and road blockages all over the state, putting the pressure on the state government to make a quick announcement,” he said.
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